Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim labels his squad the ‘worst team’ in club’s history | CNN

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim labels his squad the ‘worst team’ in club’s history | CNN

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has labeled his side the “worst team” in the club’s history after yet another chastening Premier League defeat on Sunday.

United was roundly beaten 3-1 by Brighton at Old Trafford, tallying its 10th loss of a disastrous season which now leaves the once great club languishing 13th in the league.

Amorim, who replaced previous manager Erik ten Hag in November, provided an honest judgment of where he thinks his team is at during Sunday’s post-match press conference.

“Imagine what this is (like) for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is (like) for me,” Amorim told reporters.

“We are getting a new coach that is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that. I am not going to change, no matter what. I know we can succeed, but we need to survive this moment. Because I’m not naive and I know that we need to survive now.

“We are being the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United. I know that you want headlines, but I’m saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go, your headlines.”

It may sound like hyperbole, but Amorim is not far off with his scathing assessment.

Since he took charge of the club, the Red Devils have managed just 11 league points from a possible 33, form which leaves them on track for their worst ever Premier League finish – the current worst is last season’s eighth-placed finish.

Perhaps more notably, United currently sits closer to the relegation zone than it does to the top of the league – Manchester United was last relegated from the top division in 1974.

When taking the job last year, Amorim would have been acutely aware that the club was struggling – it has continued to underachieve for over a decade now, ever since the legendary Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

The Portuguese manager – who previously impressed during his spell in charge of Sporting Clube de Portugal – got to work straight away, implementing a new system which was supposed to usher in a new era of success.

But while there have been some promising signs, consistency has continued to be a serious problem which has seen the team sink to new depths in the league.

What is perhaps more frustrating for fans is that United’s players seem to be able to turn it on for certain games.

Before Christmas, the team beat local rival Manchester City 2-1 in the league and more recently earned a 2-2 draw with league leader Liverpool. Last week, Manchester United also beat Arsenal on penalties in the FA Cup.

But in between those positive performances, United has been comfortably beaten by teams such as Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle.

Amorim has openly admitted that the players have yet to fully grasp his new system, but insists that he’s not going to change his ways, even if that leads to more defeats in the short-term.

“I’m not going to change how I see the game, I’m clear on that. The players are going to suffer, the fans are going to suffer, I’m sorry,” he added.

There is one ray of hope for United fans though amid the awful run of results.

The last time United lost 10 of its first 22 games of the league season was in the 1989-90 season, per Reuters. The manager at that time was a young Ferguson, the same manager who went on to win 13 league titles for the club.

Amorim and his players have the chance to get their season back on track when they face Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday. Manchester United then plays Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

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